The Accident
by Dwlittle
Summary: TV Show: Real-Life LLC (Tori/Emily, but not Romantic); Fantasy, AU, semi-graphic descriptions; Tori and Emily go about their lives trying not to remember the night of the accident or the awful question it raised: Who or What is real?
1. Chapter 1

She was riding in the car with her friends; it was her 16th birthday and she was celebrating. The music was turned up on the radio and they were all laughing-so happy. In that moment, she was the happiest she had ever been. Then the deer appeared in the middle of the road. Then the driver swerved to avoid it. Then the car went off the road. Then it flipped and hit a tree. Then there was screaming and blood and confusion. Then it was still.

* * *

Tori and Emily laughed as they walked into the dorm room at two a.m. from a late-night rehearsal.

"Wow" said Tori, laughing and smiling as she closed the door "another long night".

Emily just groaned to which Tori giggled.

"And we still have that homework for honors!" Emily exclaimed, reaching for her laptop. "I completely forgot!"

"Oh, come on, all it is is a response to that movie, it won't take long" Tori said, walking over to Emily and patting her on the sholder. "After all, it's not the hardest thing we've ever done…"

Emily turned around to Tori.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about that anymore, now that we're here"

Tori sighed "I'm sorry Emily, I keep forgetting I said I wouldn't bring it up; but it's so hard, only you knowing what happened and me not telling the others about that night and-

"STOP IT!" Emily shouted as she slammed her laptop lid down and stood up so fast that Tori, leaning on Emily's chair, nearly fell over. "It's so hard, being reminded of that night" Emily said, close to tears. "You don't know what I-what we've had to…" Emily began to sob, collapsing into Tori's arms.

Tori held Emily close and began rocking her and soothing her. Honestly, Tori didn't know what to do other than pat her back and tell her everything would be alright. She gently eased Emily back into her chair then went to make her a cup of tea.

Tori tried not to show that it was hard for her too, remembering that night, but her shaking hand gave her away. She made two cups of tea. She re-crossed the room and handed one to Emily while eagerly sipping her own, attempting to find solace. They finished their tea in silence.

Emily inhaled shakily butting down her tea. "I'm sorry about overreacting", she said, "I don't know what came over me. I guess something about realizing one's mortality-well, really, one's nature- made me so scared…just like that night."

Tori patted her hand. "I know, I get scared too, sometimes, thinking about then and what has happened since."


	2. Chapter 2

She was hanging upside down in the car, surrounded by her dead and dying friends, her arm broken. The driver was impaled on the steering-wheel shaft; the passenger groaning and gurgling as her seatbelt slowly strangled her; the boy beside Her was lying on the roof, his neck snapped and limbs at odd angles; the girl on Her other side was impaled to the seat, life seeping from her slowly, tree limbs stabbing through her shoulders, mouth, and stomach. She, though, was in the middle seat and the darkness of her mind.

* * *

"In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen"

Emily and Tori crossed themselves and rose from kneeling. Every morning, they prayed the Rosary to thank God for their opportunity. Each then grabbed their bags and went separate ways to class.

Emily began to walk across campus towards the Art's Building. Though she always tried not to think about that night, Emily couldn't help it sometimes; the memories of that horror had to fill her mind sometimes: the darkness, the pain, the fear…and the loneliness. That's really why she needed Tori, even though it was nearly three years ago, to combat the loneliness. Emily shuddered just remembering what it was like that night, for hours until they were found, upside-down with only her own sobs and the drip of blood breaking the stillness of the dark.

Tori began to walk across campus to the Theater. Though she tried not to think about that night, sometimes Tori couldn't help it; the memories of horror just filled her mind: the darkness, the pain, the loneliness…and the fear. That's why she needed Emily, even after three years, to fight against the fear. Tori shuddered just remembering what it was like that night, cold and bleeding and in-pain, upside-down with her dead and still-clinging-to-life friends in the dark, so terrified.


	3. Chapter 3

After hours of screaming, Her voice was raw and still no one came. She closed her eyes and could feel herself breaking inside, like a thousand shards of glass, stabbing her mind and body. "Was this death?" , She wondered. She closed her eyes and only wished that she wasn't so alone and afraid, that there would be some reprieve.

* * *

"It's alright, I'm here"

She opened her eyes and there was no one there, but still the voice kept on.

"I'm here, I'm inside, I'm a piece of you. I'm hurting too; we are here for each other."

She smiled and began to talk with the voice in her head until sunrise, when the first car passed the wreck and came to her rescue.

Emily came into the dorm room and closed the door. Tori was sitting at her desk, typing furiously at her computer.

"Hey Emily!" said Tori with a smile.

"Hey Tori" said Emily, forlornly.

"What's wrong?" said Tori, "you don't sound good; is something wrong?"

Emily sighed. She didn't want to have this conversation, but it had to happen, before anything got out of hand.

"Tori, we need to talk" Emily pulled up her chair next to Tori's. Tori powered-down her computer and turned to face Emily. "Tori, we both know that we are in a delicate situation."

"What?" Tori said, a confused look on her face.

Emily began: "Tori, only here, on holy ground, like this school, can the things in our minds be real. You know that, right? You remember, we've talked about this before."

Tori nodded "Yeah, that's why we decided to go here, so you wouldn't be a voice in my head anymore, you'd be real; I wrote your admission stuff and found a fake family in California and-"

Emily took Tori by the hand "Tori, no, you're confused again; I'm the one who decided to come here and made an application for you."

Tori shook her head. "No, Emily, I have a boyfriend who moved here with me-

Emily tried to be patient and looked Tori in the eyes. "Tori, he's my boyfriend and you just get the memory of your dates from me; you came from my mind during the accident, remember?"

Tori kept shaking her head, getting upset, standing up, pacing. "No, that's not right-you came from me, remember? I was upside-down and so afraid and I needed someone there to be brave-

Emily stood up and grabbed Tori, spinning her around "No, I was hanging there, hurt and alone and I needed someone to comfort me-"

Both girls stopped suddenly. They suddenly held each other and began to cry.


End file.
